Save Article

A Lavish Hotel Opens in a Historic French Château Domaine des Etangs

A historic family-owned château in a breathtaking but forgotten corner of rural France is reborn as a sophisticated culinary and spa retreat

By

Alice Cavanagh

June 24, 2015 10:43 a.m. ET

THE LATE FRENCH BILLIONAIRE Didier Primat’s holiday estate, Domaine des Etangs, was an 11th-century castle in the remote, untouched Charente Limousine region. Primat carefully restored the historic buildings and grounds, creating “a big playground for the whole family,” recalls his daughter Garance, 37, the third of eight children, whose childhood memories include caring for pigs, rabbits and chickens on the property.

Since her father died in 2008, Garance has worked to fulfill his dream of transforming this...